


Red Carnations

by KangKorandKoloth



Category: Bleach
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KangKorandKoloth/pseuds/KangKorandKoloth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ukitake is recovering from his illness in the squad 4 barracks, he makes a friend in the form of Isane Kotetsu</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Carnations

**Author's Note:**

> This a bit of a variation from the stuff I normally put up here. It's a bit of a crack ship (There's an omake somewhere in season 12 of the anime where these two are wandering around squad 4 together and I couldn't help thinking what a lovely couple they made) but I've been having issues with writers block recently and fancied trying something a little different to see if it would shift it . I have another part of this to come (Really hoping putting this up is going to give me the kick I need to get it finished). Nevertheless, as always I hope you enjoy.

There was a vase of fresh cut carnations on the window sill, their scent permeating through the sterile smell of disinfectant and medicine. It put him at ease, distracting him from the frustrating realization that it was another new day and he was still here.

His whole body was shaken and he had a pain in his temple, the back of his throat aching and raw. Not long now and he’d be back to his old self, he’d been worse. Over the last couple of days his breathing was had slowly improved, no longer coming in the shallow, angry, gasps they had been after a worried Rukia had dragged him down here insistent this wasn’t another minor attack and he needed medical attention. If he’d had any strength left in his body he’d have resisted, fought tooth and nail to not be here, instead settling for insisting he was fine all the way. She was a quick learner, his lieutenant, obviously not one to let things that worried her lie. Picking her had been a wise decision.

He should be grateful really this attack had happened while others were around; or at least that was what Shunsui had told him on his last visit. He’d nodded in agreement , mumbling something generic about the efficiency of his squad, feeling guilty for paying lip service to the only person who understood how this worked nearly as well as he did. It only made it worse that it hadn’t even worked, his friend wearing that time honored look which said _I believe you millions wouldn’t_. Lying to one who knew you so well was always futile especially one as perceptive as Shunsui Kyoraku.

Truth be told; he preferred to ride an attack out alone. Too many anxious faces crowding him seemed to make everything worse. He knew this like the back of his hand, it’d been with him long enough and was something best dealt with in the privacy of his quarters, recovering quietly, taking things at his pace.

The ward was clear and bright this morning, all pale wood and starched, white linen, the window thrown open letting the breeze filter through, cooling him down, the scent of honeysuckle beginning to flow through. Today was going to be hot; he could already feel beads of sweat starting to form on his brow. It would have been a good day to spend out by the pond, the koi at their best in the warm summer sun. It was a crime to be stuck in here and he wondered just how long it would be until he was discharged.

His attention drifted back to the carnations, a warm splash of red in the sea of white, a creassuring sight coaxing a smile out of him. Perhaps Lieutenant Kotetsu had put them there. This seemed to be her base of operations after all; it would have been a touch she would have thought of, something to cheer her only patient, he thought. Nobody else had been brought here since his arrival over a week ago, most of the time it was just her and him.

It was the first time she’d treated him; he normally came to the attention of Unohana; the older Captain always reluctant to entrust his care to anyone else. Except for this time, he hadn’t seen her once since his arrival. There’d been no explanation offered, but he assumed she was otherwise indisposed and it was only natural she would ensure her lieutenant took on the tasks she was unable to do herself.

Over the course of the last week, he’d grown to appreciate the younger woman’s presence; finding her incredibly different to her superior, both of them calming and warm but she more so and lacking that edge of whatever it was Unohona had that never failed to unsettle him. The Lieutenant had kept him company, frequently in the room undertaking this that or the other, hesitant at first to reply to his attempts at conversation. Shy, not surprising really they weren’t people who had conversed on a daily basis before, he only seeing her with her Captain or occasionally at the squad thirteen barracks when she paid a visit to Kiyone. Even then he kept out of their way, knowing just how fleeting time with family and loved ones could be in this job, never dreaming to intrude.

After a while, the third day or the one after that he couldn’t remember, she began to warm up to him. The one or two word answers offered out of politeness grew into sentences, then into questions of her own, her tone enthusiastic. She became seemingly pleased to see him and he grew accustomed to her routines, sweeping in just before breakfast, bright eyed and sunny, a breath of fresh air you might say, especially after a sleepless night. He never did to well away from his own bed, inclined to lay awake long into the night in unfamiliar surroundings.

She was a good listener, someone you could unburden yourself to if the mood took you. An important quality for a healer. He was growing to like that more than he was happy to admit, sometimes considering what it would be like just to let her in a bit deeper, to tell her about himself, his childhood, what had been and what he would like to come. He figured she’d understand, he could almost see her reaction, questioning; the kind of person who would work to understand, to empathise even if she didn’t at first. She’d have suggestions too, he’d noticed than once an idea took hold of her, she’d run with it, chasing down points others wouldn’t have even considered. She was truly quite exceptional in that way.

_She’s pretty too_ , he thought, imagination briefly running away with him, bought forcefully back under control, reasoning and decorum kicking in.

There was no denying it though, anyone who’d ever laid eyes on her would call Isane Kotetsu pretty. Big grey eyes, so dark you could mistake them for black, face framed by flicks of pale hair, turned up nose and an endearing smile, who wouldn’t call that pretty? Not just him surely? It didn’t take much for anyone to appreciate someone who had that much natural beauty. Much how one might evaluate a work of art, he decided, definitely nothing more than that.

If only those eyes weren’t so sad. It was always there, that sadness. The slightest glimmer of something never quite fading; even when she was smiling it never reached her eyes, they remained dull, almost fearful. He’d begun to wonder what caused it, as he’d lain awake into the depths of nightfall counting sheep and contemplating. Had there been a trigger and if so what terrible event had befallen one so lovely to make that happen? It must have been awful; the light of one’s eyes was not something that was lost easily. Why then, had no one been able to prevent that, he questioned, feeling a current of something, a dull rage, forming within him at the thought of disaster washing over the woman while those who cared just stood by. As soon as he thought it, he questioned the reaction, wondering why that would have drawn him so immediately to anger. Protectiveness perhaps; she looked like she needed that. Like she needed someone to look out for her, to chase down her demons, to make sure she was safe.  Instincts, he mused. the young always needed someone watching over them, nothing more than that. Perhaps it was something he could talk to her about, it might be possible to get to her to open up, and then, well he didn’t know quite what would happen after that, but talking would be a good start.

Wouldn’t that be Unohana’s job though, he considered? The two of them seemed to have a good relationship, better than most Captains and Lieutenants he would have said. It would make sense that she was Isane’s confidante. It was unlikely help was needed from him on that part, infact it would be somewhat arrogant of him to want to disrupt. Now he considered, it was really none of his business. He was just another patient. Not someone who should be poking his nose in. Once he was out of here, there would be nothing else binding them together, this was a temporary situation for him made better by some half decent company. However, the idea of that made his heart sink, again he couldn’t explain quite why. He scoffed inwardly, thinking how strange it was this girl; this young woman could have such an effect on him.

He’d like to see that smile reach those eyes though; his brain stubbornly refusing to veer off from this topic. For now he indulged it, telling himself there was no harm in wanting to make someone happy. He could imagine them sparkling, shining, brimming with energy, happiness, absolutely certain they must have at one time. Perhaps they could smile at something he’d said, over dinner maybe, or on a lazy morning such as this, by the pond sitting together in the sun. He thought he might enjoy that best of all.

He wondered what it would be like to take her hand, how it would feel nestled in his he’d already felt the brush of them against his skin during the never-ending rounds of tests and procedures he’d undergone this week. They were soft, tiny, lacking in the hard callouses and rough patches his were. A perk of not wielding a sword as much as others he supposed. Their fingers would interlink and he’d place his free hand over them, capturing her completely not wanting her to get away, perhaps drawing her closer, just close enough to… To what, he wondered? Hold her tight? _To kiss her, maybe_? He didn’t know. Closer would be nice most certainly, close enough to hold even better perhaps.

He was getting away from himself though, knowing this was a dangerous path he was wandering down. It was an inviting one though and verging away from the safety of normality never really harmed.It wasn’t like he was planning on confessing feelings he wasn’t sure he had to a woman who wasn’t there. But, he questioned, hadn’t he just thought about kissing her? Placing his lips on hers, how that would feel, the taste of her skin, her scent whatever that might be.

At that moment the door opened, interrupting thoughts, leaving him slightly flustered, grateful no-one could read his mind at that moment. He looked up a smile already there to greet the focus of his thoughts, looking forward to another morning of her company, wondering if he could get her to speak with him a bit longer today. Perhaps if he was lucky he could convince her to sit with him a while, tell him about what was going on outside of this room, maybe tell him a little more about herself. It wasn’t her. The figure standing in the doorway was Captain Unohana back from wherever she’d been. He felt a stiletto jab of disappointment in his gut, glossing it over with a polite smile and a cheery bid of good morning to his comrade, all the while discreetly looking behind the older captain to see if the captive of his thoughts was there, thinking if his care was transferring it would make sense for a handover to take place. His heart sunk further when he realised she was not.


End file.
